A full tank of gas means you can drive a long distance without having to stop for fuel. This saves time and money, and helps you stay safe on the road.
Some philosophers are skeptical of claims that happiness matters for well-being. They object that a hedonistic or emotional state theory of happiness is too narrow.
It’s safer
When your life’s happiness tank gets depleted, it’s like a car without enough fuel. It starts to hiccup and stutter making your journey frustrating. If you keep driving in this state, it will eventually damage the engine and render your car useless. Instead, a more practical approach is to “top up your happiness tank” on a daily basis. This involves engaging in the day-to-day joy of pursuing your values and enjoying the rewards for doing so. These are factors that you can control – unlike genetics or where you’re born, says Diener.
Enjoying your work, developing positive relationships and cultivating gratitude are time-tested ways to fill your happiness tank.
It’s more environmentally friendly
For many years, much of the academic interest in happiness was a form of hedonism — enjoying pleasures, like eating and drinking. But the happiness research movement is shifting to focus on the more holistic effects of well-being, including those that can be attributed to environmental conditions.
For example, a study by Greater Good used data from Mappiness to find that people who live near green spaces report being happier than those who don’t. This is likely because parks and allotments create a sense of community, while street trees boost happiness by one percentage point, and ponds and lakes increase happiness by close to two percentage points.
More broadly, happier countries also consume less and recycle more than those that aren’t happy, even after controlling for other factors such as wealth per capita, democratic or governmental corruption, and general social trust. Sameer believes that this is because happier people are more grateful for their lives, and might therefore want to take better care of the things that enrich them.
It’s more convenient
Imagine driving a car with restricted fuel flow – it’s choppy and frustrating. Happiness is like a full tank; it gives you the strength to be resilient and move forward in spite of hardship. It makes you unstoppable!
Traditional theories of happiness focus on subjective states of feeling that are not directly tied to objective conditions such as wealth or health. However, recent advances in psychology now allow scientists to induce these subjective emotional states by using advanced brain imaging.
One such method involves training people to be more grateful, which has been shown to make them report higher levels of happiness. Other methods involve practicing positive emotions like optimism, which is associated with stronger immune systems and better goal setting. These strategies can be used daily to keep your happiness tank filled. Gratitude and optimism also boost self-esteem, which increases resilience. This enables you to rise above difficulties and live your purpose. It can also lead to greater social connection, deeper creativity and healthier relationships.